The MicroProf^®: One profilometer for all materials

The MicroProf^® systems are based on the proven multi-sensor technology of FRT. This enables you to solve numerous measuring tasks on different components / materials with one system. FRT assembles the optical measuring system MicroProf^® according to your requirements. The FRT multi-sensor concept offers the possibility to combine different technologies and measuring ranges in one system and thus allows you maximum flexibility. Possible sensor types include chromatic sensors, white light interferometers, confocal microscopes and film thickness sensors. FRT's optical profilometers offer various advantages over conventional profilometers, such as fast and flexible 2D or 3D surface measurement over a wide range of measuring fields, non-contact and thus non-destructive analysis of surface structures, and they do not contain any wear parts (such as probe tips). This technology can also be used to measure very sensitive surfaces such as optical components or soft materials, as well as metals, semiconductor products, ceramics or plastics and much more.

Surface roughness, topography and thickness measurement

The determination of the surface roughness, topography and film thickness plays in production an important role in monitoring, evaluating and optimizing surfaces in a variety of industrial branches. Covering a wide range from implants for the human body over leather structures for car interior to high-technology MEMS fabrication, a defined roughness is often closely linked to the performance. Therefore it has to be examined exact and carefully. Working in a contactless and non-destructive way, our optical profilometers measure roughness parameters according to the latest DIN EN ISO norms. Due to a variety of optical sensors almost every surface can be examined and the roughness is determined exactly and reliably with the MicroProf^® systems.

With the retrofittable TTV option, the MicroProf^® can inspect samples (for example wafers) from both sides. With the TTV option, two opposite sensors quickly measure both sides of the sample simultaneously for thickness and total thickness variation (TTV) as well as shape, topography and roughness of both surfaces. Exchangeable sample holders can be used to measure different parts such as wafers, dies, optics, foils, substrates, metals, etc. The MicroProf^® with TTV option can be equipped with a pattern recognition software and also operate fully automated with measuring recipes and part handling.

The MicroProf^® can be fully automated with FRT's powerful Acquire Automation XT software. The software can be tailored to your specific needs in order to fulfill even the highest requirements. Operators do not need any prior programming skills to create the easy to learn recipes and can easily create new recipes according to his requirements.

The MicroProf^® MHU, metrology tool with Material Handling Unit is specially designed for semiconductor, MEMS and LED industries. Typical applications are measurement of bare, structured or coated wafers in the various lithographic process steps. Due to a robot arm with two vacuum end effectors the tool has very high throughput rates up to 220 wafer per hour. It is capable of processing wafer sizes from 2 to 12 inches. Depending on the configuration, up to 4 open cassettes can be processed. Option for two-sided sample measurement allows the simultaneous measurement of top and bottom surfaces with determination of the sample thickness, total thickness variation (TTV) and various surface parameters such as roughness, waviness and flatness of both sides. A complete wafer shape measurement is also possible, with analysis of the global and local wafer parameters. A sorting function is available for the sorting of good and bad samples. Based on the multi-sensor concept, additional sensors can be retrofitted at a later date. A further area of the MicroProf^® MHU is the layer thickness determination of thin films, as well as layer stacks, measurement of step heights, bumps, vias (TSV), trenches, etc. Due to its fully SEMI-compliant design, almost maintenance-free hardware components and its high throughput, the MicroProf^® MHU is the perfect solution for use in production.

The MicroProf^® be equipped with a thermo unit to measure the surface topography of components under controlled thermal load. Fully automatic measurements of the surface topography can be carried out at different temperatures with corresponding dwell times at constant temperatures. The thermo unit has a fully integrated heating and cooling stage. The temperature range extends from 10°C or -80°C (liquid nitrogen cooling) up to 400°C with a fast heating and cooling rate and a homogeneous temperature distribution on the sample surface. The sample temperature can be set precisely and individually configured with temperature profiles.